Frederick the Wise. Frederick III, also known as Frederick the Wise, was Elector of Saxony from 1486 to 1525, who is mostly remembered for the worldly protection of his subject Martin Luther.
Frederick was the son of Ernest, Elector of Saxony and his wife Elisabeth, daughter of Albert III, Duke of Bavaria. He is notable as being one of the most powerful early defenders of Martin Luther.
He successfully protected Luther from the Holy Roman Emperor, the Pope and other hostile figures. He was not led by his religious convictions, but rather by his belief in a fair trial for any of his subjects and the rule of law.
The elector had little personal contact with Luther himself. Frederick's treasurer Degenhart Pfaffinger spoke on behalf of him to Luther.
Pfaffinger had supported Frederick since their pilgrimage to the holy land together. Frederick is considered to have remained a Roman Catholic all his life, yet gradually inclining toward doctrines of the Reformation and supposedly converting on his deathbed. Frederick III is commemorated as a Christian ruler in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod on 5 May. Born in Torgau, he succeeded his father as elector in 1486; in 1502, he founded the University of Wittenberg, where Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon taught. Frederick was among the princes who pressed the need of reform upon Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, and in 1500 he b
Frederick was the son of Ernest, Elector of Saxony and his wife Elisabeth, daughter of Albert III, Duke of Bavaria. He is notable as being one of the most powerful early defenders of Martin Luther.
He successfully protected Luther from the Holy Roman Emperor, the Pope and other hostile figures. He was not led by his religious convictions, but rather by his belief in a fair trial for any of his subjects and the rule of law.
The elector had little personal contact with Luther himself. Frederick's treasurer Degenhart Pfaffinger spoke on behalf of him to Luther.
Pfaffinger had supported Frederick since their pilgrimage to the holy land together. Frederick is considered to have remained a Roman Catholic all his life, yet gradually inclining toward doctrines of the Reformation and supposedly converting on his deathbed. Frederick III is commemorated as a Christian ruler in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod on 5 May. Born in Torgau, he succeeded his father as elector in 1486; in 1502, he founded the University of Wittenberg, where Martin Luther and Philip Melanchthon taught. Frederick was among the princes who pressed the need of reform upon Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, and in 1500 he b
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